As I was reflecting on some of my favorite movies about school and the roles teachers play in those movies I thought to myself while the movies may glorify some of the situations and/or relationships between teachers and students, are they mystifying it or reminding us what this role should or could be?
As I read through the article from Education World the following stood out to me:
- Teacher's make a difference in the lives of kids
- Many teachers view their students as their "children"
- The power of teaching can do amazing things
- Teachers impact
- All children can learn
All of these messages are portrayed in movies about teaching. When you bring this back to reality I would have to say that I agree with each of them. Teacher's roles in the lives of their students are irreplaceable. While it may not be as easy as the movies make it look, all of these things are possible and I believe that most teachers strive to reach these goals.
In viewing the movie School of Rock there are many lenses you can analyze the role of the teacher and student. In one respect I found this difficult because Black was playing a character that was
playing a teacher. I thought okay this is very unrealistic (although many movies are.) But as you continue to watch the movie he takes on some characteristics that could be found in teachers.
At the start of Dewey's teaching adventure, clearly it was all about him. First it was just a job, a way to pay the rent. Then when he realized the students were musically talented, it became about the band. But as the movie progressed (while I don't know that the results of his actions were intentional) positive things transpired and the focus turned to the students. During the formation of the band he made sure each student had a role. Regardless of the importance of the roles, each student felt they belonged and had a part. By the middle of the movie, the focus for these preparatory students changed from rigid overachievers to natural learners who were active in their educative experience. By the end of the movie Dewey managed to inspire and touch the principal, the parents, his friend Ned (the "real" Mr. Schneebly) and most importantly his students.
Our syllabus points out a number of characteristics Shannon and Crawford identified as representations of teachers. As I looked at that list I thought, yes I can think of movies that portray teachers with those characteristics, but I can also think of teachers I have had and teachers that I know who also have such traits. Everyone has different personalities and styles. I don’t necessarily think these characteristics are just roles teachers in movies portray; they are also roles many real teachers take on.
Getting back to the question, do movies mystify the roles of teachers? (Now I have to admit I'm not a formal teacher so I perhaps see this question in a different light, but) I'm not so sure that is does. I agree that it's not as easy as the movies make it appear and there are a whole lot more obstacles teachers face on a day to day basis. Overall we need to remember that movies are made for entertainment. While the movies may not tell the exact story or reality (but hey how much of our media today really does) I do believe there are some good messages that are portrayed: Teachers make a difference in the lives of their kids, the power of teaching can do amazing things, teacher's impact, and all children can learn. If only we can free our teachers from the test scores and abundance of expectations, maybe then they could do the work they dream to do.
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